Toothbrush



Dec. 30, M9241 l,520,730

J. A. STREET K TOOTHBRUSH Filed Jan. 15, 1923 Patented Dec. 1924.

UNITED STATES JOHN A. STREET, F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

TOOTHBRUSH.

Application led January 15, 1923.

To all wko/m, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. STREET, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in a Toothbrush,of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to brushes and more articularly to an improvedbrush for cleanslng the teeth.

It is an object of my invention to provide a tooth brush the design ofwhich will render it efhcient for brushing the teeth on either side, butparticularly on the interior arches with an up and down motion andwithout requiring the tooth brush to be held in an awkward position inorder to clean the interior faces of the teeth and intersticestherebetween, which is accomplished in part by reversing the ordinaryrelation of the brush to the handle so that the handle will projectsubstantially at right angles from the center of the brush.

Another object is to provide a tooth brush having a compound convexbrushing surface which will readily conform to the curvature of theinterior of the mouth and thereby facilitate the brushing of the teethon the inside of the mouth with the desirable up and down motion.

Another object accomplished by the compound convex design and themounting of the brush and handle and adaptation of the tooth brush asabove described, is to render more accessible cracks and cavities in theteeth, especially of the interior arch, and to aid especially incleaningI the teeth and gums where bridgework stands.

These objects together with other objects and advantages which willhereinafter appear, are accomplished by means of the device illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top perspectiveview of the tooth brush illustrating the compound convex design thereof.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the toothbrush longitudinally ofthe handle, as

seen on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

seen on the line 3--3 in Figure 1.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the use of the toothbrush in the interior ofthe mouth, 5x5-Figure 4 being a side view of a mouth,

y yFigure 3 isa cross sectional View of thev toothbrush transversely ofthe handle, as

` be compound convex in design.

Serial No. 612,656.

partly in section, with the toothbrush inserted for use, and Figure 5being a relative View of the tooth brush as seen from above, upon line5-5'of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the tooth brush as formed withthe handle projecting upwardly at an incline from the back of the brush,which may be the preferred construction.

Figure 7 shows a modified form of the toothbrush in which the compoundconvex face of the brush is formed of different length bristles to givethe desired convexity.

More specifically, 10 indicates a toothbrush comprising a bristle plate11 with the bristle tufts mounted upon it, and which bristle plate isapproximately rectangular in plan, but preferably having rounded cornersfor protecting delicate mouth tissues from abrasion. The bristle plateis preferably formed with a distinct compound concave-convex design,that is to say, it may be curved in the direction of each edge, asindicated especially in Figure 2, where the bristle plate is seen tocurve in the direction of one edge, and in Figure 3 Where the curveextends transversely to the latter edge,V the outer surface thencomparing approximately with a sectional area of a sphere. Obviously,the back *face of the bristle plate may be of any desired form. Thebristle plate 11 is fitted with a handle 12, ypreferably connecting withthe back of the bristle plate, as indicated at 13 in Figures 1 and 6,which handle may extend in a .general plane with the back plate, asshown in Figure l, or it may be mounted at an angle, as illustrated inFigure 6, and it may be slightly curved, as shown in Figures l, 2, 3, 4,and 5,. or it may connect without a curve being built into the back ofthe brush, as shown 1nI Figure 6. The protruding or convex face 14 ofthe bristle plate 11 has a multiplicity of holes 15 formed therein,which are adapted to retain bristles or brush tufts 16. The back plateand handle may be composed of Celluloid, gum, rubber, bone or anysuitable and substantial material.

In Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, the bristles are of substantially equallength so that the brushing surface formed by them :will also Referringto Figures 4 and 5 it is seen that this compound convex brushing surfacerenders the toothbrush especially eilicient in thatv whether thetoothbrush be held with the handle horizontal or vertical, or inaposition medially between, the two curvatures of the brushing surfacewill approximately conform to 'the interior curvature of the mouth bothlongitudinally of the jaws and transversely thereof, although thegeneral brushing method is up and down.

Referring more in detail to Figures 4 and 5, teeth 16 borne by jaw y17are in the process of being cleaned in the interior side by thetoothbrush 10. The compound convex design of the brushing surfacerenders the brush capable of being generally operated with an up anddown motion relative to the teeth, and as to the interior arch, givescomplete contact with the interior faces of the teeth and intersticestherebetween, insuring full brushing contact at varied positions of thehandle, effecting a thorough cleaning of the faces of the teeth and theinterstices therebetween, which cannot be readily accomplished by thetoothbrushes now general y in use which are notoriously awkward andinefficient in cleansing the backs of the teeth.

Furthermore, when the cracks or cavities are unusually large, as whenartificial teeth are supported by bridge work, there commonly exists ahollow space between the artificial teeth and the gums which frequentlyfills with foreign matter and cannot be readily cleaned by use of theordinary toothbrushes. The particular design of my toothbrush enablesthe ready removal of such foreign matter or dirt from these spaces,since the brush can bev manipulated to penetrate 'spaces which arediiiicult of access to ordinary brushes.

It can-be understood how itis possible for the toothbrush to be operatedon the interior portion of the teeth with an up and down motion withoutresorting to twisting or twirling of the toothbrush.

The length and breadth of the back plate may be substantially equal, orthe length may exceed the breadth, and either way.

The operation is apparent from the foregoing. Thus, the handle may beheld vertically and pushed up and down, the brush being of such widthas. to effectively clean the interior portion of the teeth in thismanner, Or, the handle may be operated horizontally, thus passing thebrush over the consecutive teeth, as is common practice with theordinary type of toothbrush. In

,brushing the interior portion ofthe teeth the toothbrush may be workedwith a vertical up and down motion, which is very desirable in dentalcleanliness, ror it may be pushed horizontally, or twisted from side toside.

I claim y A toothbrush comprising a plate of substantially rectangularoutline, bristles JOHN A. STREET.

